Vehicle tongue-plate.



PATENTED JUNE 2 1903.

VEHICLE TONGUE PLATE. APPLwATIoN PiLED MAR. 4, 1903.

no MODEL.

Patented June 2, 1903.

PATENT OFFIcE.

GEORGE O. THOMPSON, OF SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

VEHICLE TONGUE-PLATE.

srncrrrcarron forming ar of amas No. 729,810, dated June 2, 1903.

Application filed March 4, 1903.

T at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE CuTHOMPLtON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salt Lake Oity,in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Vehicle Tongue Plates; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertaius to make and use the same. 1

My invention relates to means employed in attaching the doubletree to the tongue of a vehicle and for all similar purposes.

In ordinary couplings the king-bolt and the edge of the tongue-plate are rapidly worn away by frictional contact with each other; and it is an object of this invention to render these parts very greatly more durable in all cases and stronger to stand any unusual strain that may be put upon them.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention, Figure 1 being a plan view of the device in operative position, Fig. 2a plan of the same detached, and Fig. 3 a side view in operative position and partly in section. Fig. 4 is a side View detached from the tongue, and Fig. 5 is a plan of a modification of the dev1ce.

Like letters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views.

The letter Aindicates a wagon-tongue, and B the doubletree, both shown fragmentarily. These parts are of the well-known shape com; mon to draft-wagons and have the usual holes for an ordinary king-bolt or hammer Z).

Ois a curved arm or brace, pivoted on the tongue behind the plate and perforated at its upper end to admit the king-bolt, which is supported by it.

D is the tongueplate. Its body-surface is flat or made to conform to the upper side of the tongue, upon which it is secured by nails or screws through holes provided therefor.

(Z is a projection or bearing-surface for the $erial No. 146.194. (No model.)

cut end the portion as cut through. This guard at may be made of any desired length. and may be out either from the central part of the plate D or from one side of it, as shown in Fig. 5. The guard (I should be curved also 1 to conform to the curvity of the hole a, and of the king-bolt b.

By the use of this .device I avoid at the bolt-hole the sharp edge of the common tongueplate, which when in use continually cuts the king-bolt and is in turn worn rapidly away by the friction of the king-bolt, which also wears with equal certainty the doubletree itself.

This device is very easily and cheaply made at any smiths shop, and its value is apparent in prolonging the usefulness of the parts protected by it, as well as in giving to them additional strength and stability.

Having now described my invention,what I claim is 1. A vehicle tongue-plate having a body attachable to the tongue, at the king-bolt hole, and a part of said body out therefrom and bent to enter said king-bolt hole, to form a guard for said king-bolt, substantially as herein set forth.

2. In a vehicle tongue-plate, having a body attachable to the tongue, apart of said body out therefrom, bent to enter the king-bolt hole and curved to conform to the curvity of said hole, for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE O. THOMPSON. Witnesses: l

SADIE E. Peron, J can 13. OORKER. 

